Is Having Restrike Capability Worth It?

By Patrick Sweeney

Wagner’s opera “Siegfried” opens with the Mime forging a sword, which Siegfried, in testing, shatters. What use is a sword that will break? In the 21st century, what use is a cartridge that won’t fire? I’ve seen it happen with factory ammunition a few times, and while extremely rare, it is upsetting. After all, that could have been the one cartridge I needed for defense of my life.

The current preference for the buying public, as far as pistols are concerned, is focused on striker-fired designs. Some pistols have restrike capability, and some don’t have restrike capability. Not to get all philosophical, but does it matter?

Back in the medium-good days, there was no such question. When faced with a dud primer, those who carried revolvers simply released the trigger and stroked through again. It was, after all, what they were going to do anyway in their follow-up shots, so no problem. Those who carried pistols (with rare exceptions 1911s or Browning Hi-Powers) would do their tap-rack-bang, slapping the magazine to make sure it was seated, working the slide, then getting back to the business at hand.

When Smith & Wesson came along with the M-39 and later the M-59, the process was …Read the Rest

Source:: Guns and Ammo